Spikemffiachilte



M. BELKNAPi SPIKE MACHINE.

Patented Aug. 5, 1856.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

MOODY BELKNAP, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPIKE-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 15,468, dated August 5, 1856.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MOODY BELKNAP, now or late of Boston, in the countyof Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Machinery for Making Spikes; and I do herebydeclare that the same is fully described and represented in thefollowing specification and the accompanying l on the spike than wouldotherwise be the Figure l, is a top View of my improved spike machine.Fig. 2, a side elevation of it; Fig. 3 a vertical section taken throughthe cutter orknife D, and the pointing dies;

drawings, of which- Fig. 4, a horizontal section taken through theknife, and the heading and pointing dies. Fig. 5, is a longitudinalsection of the knife holder and carriage. Fig. 6 is an underside view ofthe machine. Figs. 7 and 8, are side views of the kind of spikemanufactured by said machine.

In such drawings, A, exhibits the frame or table for supporting theoperative parts of the mechanism to be hereinafter described; B is thedriving shaft which is sustained in suitable boXes arranged at one endof the machine as seen 1n Fig. 1, the" said shaft being provided with aseries of cams Z), Z), c, and d, (Z, disposed upon it as shown in saidfigure. Near to the opposite end of the machine is the die block or headC, the same being formed with a stationary vertical cutting edge as seenat e, in Fig. 4, this cutting edge operating in conjunction with amovable knife or cutter D, arranged with respect to it and the die blockas shown in Figs. 3, and 4.

In Fig. 9, is represented an inner side View of the movable knife, D,wherein such knife is shown as formed with a rectangular recess f,arranged in advance of its cutting edge. The vertical height of saidrecess should be made equal to the vertical depth of the spike rod, sothat when the knife is performing the operation of severing a blank fromthe rod-(which is done by cutting through the rod in a diagonal orslanting direction) the spike rod shall be embraced both on its upperand lower sides, at its end or part where the out is made and so as toprevent the'said end from which the blank is taken from being upset orformed with projecting fins which would otherwise be likely to result.The recess or chamber, also serves to prevent the end of the rod fromhaving a ragged out or appearance.

case.

In the drawings E and F, are the point ing dies, or those by which thetapering end of the spike blank is bent around so as to stand withrespect to the rest of the spike as shown in Fig. -7. Of these dies E,F, the former,.viz. E, is movable, while the latter, or F, is stationaryand formed in or makes part. of the die block C. The movable die E, isdriven forward by means of a cam (Z, and drawn backward by a spring, g,arranged as seen in Figs. 3 and 6.

In connection with the machinery for pointing the spike or cuttingdiagonally or in a slant-ing direction through the spike rod in themanner described, I make use of gripping dies G, H, the former of which,viz, G is movable while the lattter is stationary and formed in theblock C. The movable die G, is pressed forward by the cam 0, and drawnbackward by a spring h (see Fig. 6). The said gripping dies are arrangedin front of the pointing dies as seen in the drawings, and they shouldbe made to operate so as to seize the spike blank before it is severedfrom the rod, and hold it firmly while it is being severed by the cutterpassing through it diagonally as specified. In

order to accomplish this, the gripping dies,,.

require to be arranged in manner as escribed, and when so arranged andmade to operate, they perform such a function. And besides this, theyperform another function, or that for which they are commonly employed,viz, that of holding the spike blank, while the header, I, is drivenforward or up. to it, and makes the head upon it.

The movable knife D, is supported by a holder, 2', which embraces asliding carriage,

7a, and is arranged thereon as seen in Figs. 1, and 5, the holder beingsupplied with adjusting screws Z, Z, by which it may be moved so as toadjust the movable knife in a proper manner with respect to the block C.The carriage 7c slides on a V, or dovetailed rail, m, fixed on top ofthe block O, and said carriage is connected to the header, I, by meansof connecting rod, y, jointed to both, the knife carriage being moved byand with the header, to which an intermittent, reciprocating motion onits fulcrum, 0, is to be imparted by the cams b, b, suitably formed andapplied to the driving shaft.

In Fig. 10, is shown a vertical and transverse section of the machinetaken on a line X X, of Fig. 1, or that in which the spike blank is madeto enter the machine. In this figure are shown the extra dies, K, L, orthose which form the pointed end of the spike, with recesses, 79, p, inrear of its wedged end as seen in Fig. 7 the same imparting to said endof the spike a dove tail r flaring form on two of its opposite sides.The object of so making the spike is to enable it to take a firmer holdof the wood into which it may be driven than would be the case were itsopposite sides made parallel, or, not recessed. One of said extra dies,viz L, is formed in the die block C, (see Fig. 10). The other die orthat marked K, being movable and supplied with machinery, by which at aproper time or times, it may be forced upward toward the die L in orderto compress the spike, and give form to it, or make it with therecesses, 39, p, as hereinbefore mentioned. Such movable die K receivesits upward movement by the action of the cam, 01, fixed on the drivingshaft and acting on a lever g, arranged as seen in Figs. 2, and 6, andmade to turn on a fulcrum placed at 7', as represented in the latter ofsaid figures. The return or downward movement of the die, K, is producedby a spring, 8.

In Fig. 1, I have delineated the feeder at- M, such feeder beingoperated with an intermittent reciprocating motion and so as to seizethe spike rod and impel it forward into the dies as occasion mayrequire. As the feeding apparatus of my invention or machine does notdiffer essentially from such as are in common use in various othermachines, and as it forms no part of my invention, it is not necessaryfor me to go into a further description of it.

In consequence of the peculiar action of the movable knife D, or inother words, by its being made to pass in a diagonal or slantingdirection through the spike rod, there is a tendency to force the saidrod backward, and for the purpose of counteracting this, I cause thespike blank to be thoroughly by gripped and held by the gripping jaws,E, E. Unless the blank is so sustained, at the time it is severed fromthe rod, there will be a variation, as the rod cools, it beingunderstood that when it is inserted in the machine, it is in a heatedstate, or that it is heated to redness.

In machines of this nature, or those wherein the spike blank is eifectedby a slanting cut through the rod, the blank has not been gripped (nearthe end where it is to be headed) during the action of the cutter, andin consequence thereof, the spike blanks would vary more or less in sizeand so as to prevent uniformity in the size of their heads. Thisdifficulty is obviated by my machine.

What I claim as of my invention, is-

The improvement of making the movable knife, D, with a rectangularrecess, f, for the purpose and to operate substantially in manner ashereinbefore explained.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature this twenty fourthday of March A. D. 1856.

MOODY BELKNAP.

Vitnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr.

